Below are interview questions I sent to the director and curator, Michael Ensdorf, to learn more about the gallery's inception and relevance in the digital age.

• Tell me
a little bit of the history of the Gage Gallery, how it came to be.

When Roosevelt University renovated and moved into the
Gage building in 2001, I asked to use the first floor “reception room” space as
the university’s first permanent gallery. (I was on the academic spaces
committee for the new building and was part of the planning process.) Before
the Gage Gallery, I was installing work on temporary walls around the
university. Our first exhibition opening took place two days after 9/11.
Needless to say, it was a somber affair. We were all still in shock.

• Please share some of the people and bodies of work that have appeared in the gallery.

We’ve also hosted group exhibitions including Crisis and Opportunity: Documenting the Global Recession, the inaugural showing of the Aftermath Project: War is Only Half the Story, the Border Film Project: Photographs by Migrants and Minutemen on the U.S.-Mexico Border, and The Promise of Public Housing, which I co-curated with Kathy Pilat and historian Brad Hunt.

• What
benefits are there for photographers to show their work in galleries when the web is free? Who
shoulders the costs?

When photographers show their work in galleries, they have
the potential to reach new audiences. It’s similar to when a photographer
publishes a book of their work. I also think there’s a potential for unexpected
encounters when work is in a gallery. For some visitors the gallery is a
destination, for others, it’s a surprise. But most importantly, I think the
gallery serves as a vital component in the marketing of a photographer’s work.
This is true of not-for-profit spaces, such as ours, and commercial galleries
alike. A gallery show, properly publicized, will inform and help lead the
community to a photographer’s work.

As for shouldering the costs, that can be complicated.
Every exhibition is different, and funding usually comes from a multitude of
sources—donors, the university, grants, and from the photographers themselves.
It’s never enough, but we somehow get things done!

• In the
age of the worldwide web and audiences of millions, what makes galleries
relevant in the viewing of images and social change?

Gallery shows are just one part of the viewing experience
today. They may seem old school, but I think people crave seeing actual
prints—their size, surface, and presentation—in person. Also, the curator’s
role in the choice, organization, and arrangement of the images in an
exhibition can inform and expand the viewer’s understanding of the work.

Additionally, the Gage Gallery brings people together to
discuss the major social issues of our day. We use the gallery as a classroom
for students from around the city, as well as for panel discussions, readings,
and other events that connect and relate to the exhibitions. I think when
people come together in the same room, interactions occur that can be
enlightening and educational. I’m not sure the web can do that in the same way.

• You've said that the space is
collaborative - how so?

Oftentimes, we work with photographers on the exhibitions,
both in the selection of work, as well as with the design of the show. I’ve
also collaborated with individuals and organizations within Roosevelt
University, namely, the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and
Transformation, directed by sociologist and Roosevelt faculty member Heather
Dalmage, and the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project, directed by political
scientist and Roosevelt faculty member Bethany Barratt. I’ve also worked
closely with the historians and Roosevelt faculty members Brad Hunt and Erik
Gellman. Since I come from the photography world, working with other academics
in other disciplines provides additional perspectives, and helps connect the
exhibitions to different constituencies.

In other words, our audience can grow beyond the world of
documentary photography and photojournalism. Some people come to the gallery
because they know the photographer’s work, and others come because of the
content, and couldn’t care less how well-known the photographer is.

• What is your personal background and
interest in photojournalism?

I’ve been a photographer for most of my life, and have
been teaching since 1990. Photojournalism and documentary photography, in
general, can provide vital information about different cultures. Imagine a
world without visual information and images! In my opinion, photography is
essential to our understanding of the human condition. At the same time,
photography is also mysterious and illusive. Meaning has to be created by the
viewer, which adds that element of agency that can foster new understandings
about the world. You never know how people will react when viewing powerful
images, and that’s exciting.

• What
moments stand out for you since opening the gallery?

One moment that stands out is the opening reception for
the Promise of Public Housing exhibition in January, 2005. The gallery was
overflowing with people, some of whom grew up in public housing and brought
their own photographs of their experiences. Some of the photographs they
brought to the opening were copies of the ones in the exhibition! I think that
exhibition connected with a lot of Chicagoans on a multitude of levels—personal,
social, and political.

Another great moment for me personally, is when I curated The Working-Class Eye of Milton Rogovin.
It was such a pleasure combing through over a thousand of Milton’s images to
find the ones for the show. Historian Erik Gellman and I spent many, many days
looking at photographs with Milton’s son Mark Rogovin. I’m really proud of that
show. Two days before the opening reception, Milton passed away at the age of
101. The opening served as a kind of memorial to him, and was so well attended,
we had to turn people away.

• What do
you see in the future for the Gage Gallery?

The future of the gallery depends largely on funding.
We’re trying to find new funding sources so that we can continue doing the
kinds of exhibitions we think are important. I’d also like to expand the space
so that we can host larger exhibitions and events. Of course, that’s why we
need more funding! I’m also developing a new Documentary Studies minor at the
university that will connect more students to the gallery, and will offer more
opportunities for exhibiting student work.

• How would a photographer approach you to show their work?

The best way for photographers to contact me is by email providing a link to their images. It’s important for people to know that we show documentary work that connects in some way to the university’s social justice mission, but it’s fairly open-ended. The gallery is currently booked through 2015.

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